Jean Morose Viliena, the former mayor of Les Irois, Haiti, has been sentenced to nine years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for using a fraudulently obtained Permanent Resident Card to enter and remain in the United States. The sentencing was handed down on Friday by Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV for the District of Massachusetts.
A federal jury convicted Viliena in March 2025 on three counts of visa fraud after finding that he lied about his past involvement in political violence, including extrajudicial killings and acts of brutality, while serving as mayor of Les Irois from 2006 to 2010.
“In Haiti, Jean Morose Viliena was involved in the violent killings, beatings, and assaults of whomever he believed threatened his power as mayor,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His lies to U.S. immigration authorities allowed him to unlawfully enter this country and obtain lawful permanent resident status. Individuals who commit violent crimes in their home countries should take note: we do not tolerate human rights abusers who lie to take refuge here. We will find you, investigate you, and prosecute you to ensure that you are held accountable to the maximum extent of U.S. law for your heinous criminal conduct.”
“Jean Morose Viliena built a life in the United States by burying the truth about his violent past – a past marked by political persecution, bloodshed and the silencing of dissent in Haiti,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “For more than a decade, he lived freely and comfortably in this country while the victims of his brutality lived in fear, exile and pain. Today’s sentence brings a measure of justice for the lives he shattered and sends a clear message: the United States will not be a safe haven for human rights abusers. Lying to gain entry into this country and then lying again under oath to avoid accountability strikes at the heart of our immigration and legal systems. I commend the tremendous courage of the victims and witnesses who stood up and spoke the truth despite the risks and made this outcome possible.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores the commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to ensuring that individuals who commit heinous acts of violence and fraud are held accountable, regardless of where those crimes were committed,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England. “Jean Morose Viliena’s actions were not only a gross violation of human rights but also a betrayal of the trust placed in him by his community. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to bring justice to victims and protect the American people from foreign criminals seeking to escape justice in their home countries.”
While mayor, Viliena was aligned with a political group known as Korega, which wielded influence in Haiti’s southwestern region through the use of armed violence. According to trial evidence, Viliena ordered and personally took part in attacks against political opponents and civilians. In July 2007, he led an armed group that murdered the younger brother of a local activist, smashing his skull in front of bystanders. In April 2008, he and armed supporters raided a radio station founded by community members, distributing weapons and attacking those present. One victim was shot and later had a leg amputated; another was struck by a bullet that left him blind in one eye.
Less than two months after the radio station attack, Viliena applied for a U.S. visa at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. When asked if he had “ordered, carried out or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killings,” Viliena falsely answered “no.” His application was approved, and he was later granted a U.S. Green Card. For years, he lived in the U.S. with the benefits of lawful status—including employment, community safety, and the ability to raise a child who is now a U.S. citizen—while the victims of his past actions lived in fear and suffering.
The case was investigated by the HSI Boston Field Office with support from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Boston Logan Airport. The HRVWCC, established in 2009, helps track and prosecute human rights abusers in the U.S.
Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan for the District of Massachusetts prosecuted the case, with support from HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden.
